Charcoal briquet and packaged charcoal briquet product

Abstract

An improved charcoal briquet having combustion aiding surfaces is packaged in a compact boxed package. A charcoal briquet having improved burning characteristics and also improved shipping and retailing characteristics is thereby provided. An improved packaged charcoal product including a flat sided box adapted to hold randomly oriented briquets and be split open at its corners and at a lower portion for use in igniting the briquets and a grooved pillow shaped briquet are also disclosed.

Having thus described the invention, it is claimed:  
     
       1. A pillow-shaped charcoal briquet having a total surface area measurable in square inches and a total volume measurable in cubic inches, the ratio of said total surface area to said total volume comprising a value in a range between approximately 13.7 to approximately 2.16;
 wherein said briquet further comprises at least one groove formed in at least one surface thereof; and 
 wherein a depth of the at least one groove varies as a function of distance from an external periphery of the briquet. 
 
     
     
       2. The briquet of  claim 1 , further comprising an upper surface and a lower surface, and said at least one groove comprises a plurality of substantially parallel grooves extending across a majority of said upper surface; and
 wherein each of said grooves comprises a width and a depth, said width comprising a relationship to said depth. 
 
     
     
       3. The briquet of  claim 2 , wherein said relationship comprises said width being substantially equal to said depth over at least a portion of said groove. 
     
     
       4. The briquet of  claim 1 , further comprising an upper surface and a lower surface, and said at least one groove comprises a plurality of grooves disposed across said upper surface and lower surface, said plurality of grooves aiding combustion by providing air circulation around said briquet, and between said briquet and at least another said briquet within a pile of briquets. 
     
     
       5. The briquet of  claim 1 , further comprising an upper surface and a lower surface, and said at least one groove comprises at least two grooves disposed on at least one of said upper surface and said lower surface, said at least two grooves extending substantially from one side of a periphery of said briquet to an opposing side of said periphery for aiding combustion by providing air circulation around and along at least a portion of said periphery and between said briquet and at least another said briquet within a pile of briquets. 
     
     
       6. The briquet of  claim 1 , further comprising an upper surface, a lower surface, and a periphery;
 said periphery defining a plane whereby said upper surface and said lower surface are substantially symmetrical with respect thereto; and, 
 said upper surface and said lower surface each having at least one groove extending respectively across said upper surface and said lower surface, said grooves having a depth thereby providing an increased surface area to volume ratio. 
 
     
     
       7. The briquet of  claim 1 , wherein:
 said at least one groove comprises a first groove disposed on said upper surface and a second groove disposed on said lower surface respectively, 
 
       at least one of said grooves extending substantially from one side of a periphery of said briquet to an opposing side of said periphery; and,
 said upper surface and said lower surface are configured to allow close contact between said briquet and one or more adjacent briquets while said grooves provide air circulation around at least a portion of said periphery. 
 
     
     
       8. The briquet of  claim 1 , wherein said briquet has four sides and a generally square periphery. 
     
     
       9. A charcoal briquet having a total surface area measurable in square inches and a total volume measurable in cubic inches, the ratio of said total surface area to said total volume comprising a value in a range between approximately 13.7 to approximately 2.16;
 wherein said briquet further comprises at least one means for enhancing the circulation of air around said briquet during combustion; and 
 wherein said briquet is configured to achieving a cooking temperature of about 1000 degrees Fahrenheit within about fifteen minutes after ignition and holding at least said temperature for at least fifteen minutes thereafter when disposed relative to a plurality of other similar briquets and ignited; and 
 wherein said means for enhancing the circulation enables both (i) said achievement of a cooking temperature of about 1000 degrees within about fifteen minutes after ignition, and (ii) said holding of at least said temperature for at least fifteen minutes thereafter. 
 
     
     
       10. A pillow-shaped charcoal briquet having a convex upper surface, a convex lower surface, and a plurality of grooves extending across a majority of both said convex upper surface and said convex lower surface, said grooves having a prescribed depth of at least a portion thereof so as to aid combustion by providing air circulation around said pillow-shaped briquet when said pillow-shaped briquet is at least partly surrounded by other similar briquets;
 wherein said briquet is configured to achieve a cooking temperature of at least 1000 degrees Fahrenheit within about fifteen minutes after ignition and hold about said temperature for at least fifteen minutes thereafter when disposed relative to said other similar briquets, and ignited; and 
 wherein said plurality of grooves enables both (i) said achievement of a cooking temperature of at least 1000 degrees within about fifteen minutes after ignition, and (ii) said holding of about said temperature for at least fifteen minutes thereafter. 
 
     
     
       11. The briquet of  claim 10 , wherein the pillow-shaped briquette further comprises a substantially elliptical periphery. 
     
     
       12. The briquet of  claim 10 , wherein the prescribed depth is no deeper than approximately 25% of a maximum depth dimension of the briquet. 
     
     
       13. The briquet of  claim 12 , wherein at least a portion of the grooves are substantially symmetrical with respect to a horizontal plane passing through the center of the briquet. 
     
     
       14. The briquet of  claim 13 , wherein the depth of the grooves varies as a function of distance from an external periphery of the briquet. 
     
     
       15. The briquet of  claim 14 , wherein a width of each of the grooves at the convex upper surface is greater than a width of the same groove at said prescribed depth within said briquet. 
     
     
       16. The briquet of  claim 10 , wherein the grooves are substantially symmetrical with respect to a horizontal plane passing through the center of the briquet. 
     
     
       17. The briquet of  claim 10 , wherein a width of each of the grooves at the convex upper surface is greater than a width of the same groove at said prescribed depth within said briquet. 
     
     
       18. The briquet of  claim 10 , wherein a width of at least a portion of the grooves is about as wide as said depth. 
     
     
       19. The briquet of  claim 10 , wherein the depth of the grooves varies as a function of distance from an external periphery of the briquet. 
     
     
       20. A pillow-shaped charcoal briquet having a convex upper surface, a convex lower surface, and a plurality of grooves extending across a majority of both said convex upper surface and said convex lower surface, said grooves configured to aid combustion by providing air circulation around said pillow-shaped briquet when said pillow-shaped briquet is at least partly surrounded by other similar briquets;
 wherein said briquet is configured to achieve at least a cooking temperature of at least 1000 degrees Fahrenheit within about fifteen minutes after ignition and hold about 1000 degrees Fahrenheit for at least fifteen minutes thereafter when disposed relative to said other similar briquets, and ignited; and 
 wherein a depth of the grooves varies as a function of distance from an external periphery of the briquet. 
 
     
     
       21. The briquet of  claim 20 , wherein the grooves each have a maximum prescribed depth that is no deeper than 25% of a maximum depth dimension of the briquette, yet which is sufficiently deep to provide said air circulation. 
     
     
       22. The briquet of  claim 20 , wherein a width of at least a portion of the grooves is about as wide as said depth. 
     
     
       23. The briquet of  claim 20 , wherein the depth comprises a prescribed depth; and
 wherein a width of each of the grooves at the convex upper surface is greater than a width of the same groove at said prescribed depth within said briquet. 
 
     
     
       24. The briquet of  claim 23 , wherein said plurality of grooves enables both (i) said achievement of a cooking temperature of at least 1000 degrees Fahrenheit within about fifteen minutes after ignition, and (ii) said holding of said about 1000 degrees Fahrenheit for at least fifteen minutes thereafter. 
     
     
       25. The briquet of  claim 24 , wherein at least a portion of the grooves are substantially symmetrical with respect to a horizontal plane passing through the center of the briquet. 
     
     
       26. A pillow-shaped charcoal briquet having a convex upper surface, a convex lower surface, and a plurality of grooves extending across a majority of both said convex upper surface and said convex lower surface, said grooves having a prescribed shape of at least a portion thereof so as to aid combustion by providing air circulation around said pillow-shaped briquet when said pillow-shaped briquet is at least partly surrounded by other similar briquets;
 wherein:
 said briquet is configured to achieve at least a cooking temperature of at least 1000 degrees Fahrenheit within about fifteen minutes after ignition and hold at least said temperature for at least fifteen minutes thereafter when disposed relative to said other similar briquets, and ignited; 
 said plurality of grooves enables both (i) said achievement of at least a cooking temperature of about 1000 degrees within about fifteen minutes after ignition, and (ii) said holding of at least said temperature for at least fifteen minutes thereafter; 
 a depth of at least some of the plurality of grooves varies as a function of distance from an external periphery of the briquette; and 
 a width of at least a portion of each of the grooves at the convex upper surface is greater than a width of the same portion of the same groove at a prescribed depth below the convex upper surface within said briquette. 
 
 
     
     
       27. The briquet of  claim 26 , wherein the briquet comprises at least a weight and a surface area, the surface area being approximately 150 percent of that of an ungrooved briquet of the same weight. 
     
     
       28. The briquet of  claim 26 , wherein the briquet comprises a substantially four-sided shape having a length of approximately 2.39 inches per side. 
     
     
       29. A charcoal briquet having a total surface area measurable in square inches and a total volume measurable in cubic inches, the ratio of said total surface area to said total volume comprising a value in a range between approximately 13.7 to approximately 2.16;
 wherein said briquet further comprises at least one means for enhancing the circulation of air around said briquet during combustion; and 
 wherein said briquet is configured to achieving a cooking temperature on the order of 1000 degrees Fahrenheit within about fifteen minutes after ignition and holding at least said temperature for at least fifteen minutes thereafter when disposed relative to a plurality of other similar briquets and ignited; 
 wherein said means for enhancing the circulation enables both (i) said achievement of a cooking temperature within about fifteen minutes after ignition, and (ii) said holding of at least said temperature for at least fifteen minutes thereafter; and 
 wherein at least said value of said ratio is selected so that said achieving a cooking temperature within about fifteen minutes after ignition and holding at least said temperature for at least fifteen minutes thereafter is substantially unaffected by or irrespective of a composition of the briquet. 
 
     
     
       30. A pillow-shaped charcoal briquet having a convex upper surface, a convex lower surface, and a plurality of grooves extending across a majority of both said convex upper surface and said convex lower surface, said grooves having a prescribed depth of at least a portion thereof so as to aid combustion by providing air circulation around said pillow-shaped briquet when said pillow-shaped briquet is at least partly surrounded by other similar briquets;
 wherein said briquet is configured to achieve a cooking temperature on the order of 1000 degrees Fahrenheit within about fifteen minutes after ignition and hold a temperature on the order of 1000 degrees Fahrenheit for at least fifteen minutes thereafter when disposed relative to said other similar briquets, and ignited; 
 wherein said plurality of grooves enables both (i) said achievement within about fifteen minutes after ignition, and (ii) said holding for at least fifteen minutes thereafter; 
 wherein at least a configuration of said plurality of grooves and said prescribed depth cooperate so that said achievement and holding is substantially unaffected by or irrespective of a composition of the briquet. 
 
     
     
       31. A charcoal briquet having desirable ignition and burn characteristics, comprising:
 a burnable composition formed into shape having convex upper surface, a convex lower surface, and a plurality of grooves extending across a majority of both said convex upper surface and said convex lower surface, said grooves configured to aid combustion by providing air circulation around said briquet at least when said briquet is at least partly surrounded by other similar briquets; 
 wherein said briquet is configured to achieve a cooking temperature of at least 1000 degrees Fahrenheit within about fifteen minutes after ignition and hold at least said temperature for at least fifteen minutes thereafter when disposed relative to said other similar briquets, and ignited; 
 wherein said plurality of grooves enables both (i) said achievement of a cooking temperature of about 1000 degrees within about fifteen minutes after ignition, and (ii) said holding of at least said temperature for at least fifteen minutes thereafter; and 
 wherein at least said shape is configured so that said achieving a cooking temperature of about 1000 degrees Fahrenheit within about fifteen minutes after ignition and holding at least said temperature for at least fifteen minutes thereafter is substantially enabled for any of a plurality of burnable compositions. 
 
     
     
       32. A charcoal briquet having desirable ignition and burn characteristics, comprising:
 a burnable composition formed into shape having convex upper surface, a convex lower surface, and a plurality of grooves extending across a majority of both said convex upper surface and said convex lower surface, said grooves configured to aid combustion by providing air circulation around said briquet at least when said briquet is at least partly surrounded by other similar briquets; 
 wherein said briquet is configured to achieve a cooking temperature on the order of 1000 degrees Fahrenheit before fifteen minutes after ignition and hold at least said temperature for at least fifteen minutes thereafter when disposed relative to said other similar briquets, and ignited; 
 wherein said plurality of grooves and said shape cooperate to enable both (i) said achievement of a cooking temperature within about fifteen minutes after ignition, and (ii) said holding for at least fifteen minutes thereafter for any of a plurality of different possible formulations of said burnable composition.